What We Do

Hugging a tree doesn’t do a thing for it. Instead, we work to care for our street and park trees and to make it easier for other Richmonders to enjoy them and understand how much they benefit us all.

Mother Nature did the watering during the spring and summer of 2013 and so Tree Stewards had more time other for tree care activities…

We removed Gator bags from trees that had been in the ground more than 2 years. As for water, a tree should be on its’ own at that point and bags left on too long may cause insect or decay problems. One of our stewards cleans, repairs and stores bags that can be used again.

Pruning projects keep us busy most of the year and takes us all over town from Forest Hill Ave to Bellevue and from the Museum District to East Broad. We prune for two reasons: clearance for pedestrian access & visibility at stop signs and developmental pruning to help young trees develop strong structure.

Other activities include mulching (or correcting improper mulching) and staking trees when needed

From January through November of 2013 Tree Stewards cared for 2,304 trees on public property in the city of Richmond

During 2013 we collaborated with many other community groups in some aspect of tree care, tree planting or education. Included are:

MAC-ISA and its annual climbing competition

Holton Elementary School and its active tree-planting and -care program

Enrichmond Foundation and Earth Day

Bellevue Civic Association

Fan District Association

Fan Women’s Club

Friends of William Byrd Park

Friends of Forest Hill Park

Friends of William Byrd Park

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Master Naturalists

Richmond’s Community Gardens coordinator

Venture Richmond.

VCU’s Tree Campus USA Advisory Committee

Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond.

Other outreach opportunities were tables at farmers markets and educational service work days for William and Mary Branch Out students, and a group of Virginia Tech students.

Tree plantingis also on our TO DO list. We assist other groups in getting the job done as well as manage our own tree planting projects. The list for 2013 includes.

Assisting the local Mosquito Squad franchises to plant street trees they donated on a whole city block for Arbor Day,

Planted 3 trees to eventually shade a Richmond fire station in a canopy-deprived neighborhood.

Planted 28 trees – most natives and most large shade trees – in a well-used city park, also in a canopy-deprived neighborhood.

And thanks to the following for supporting Tree Stewards in 2013

The Fan District Association

Dominion

Dennis Fund includes additional money that will be used for a later planting.

Altria and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.

Though our efforts and those of all who work with us, we will all be rewarded by the benefits healthy trees provide!